


#Cool in Football, Awkward with Crushes

by LadyMarshmallow



Category: Blue Lock (Manga)
Genre: Bachira is a Danger to Everyone and Himself, Bachira is the Real MVP, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Future Fic, Getting Together, He had been crushing on him since day one. He just didn’t know it yet, Isagi has a very embarrassing crush on Kunigami, Kunigami is 100 Percent the Impulse Control of Team Z, M/M, Pining, Sleep-deprived Isagi rambles like a drunk man, Team Bonding, Team Z is Squad Goals, Team Z shenanigans, no beta i die by my own sword, they are dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-03 16:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20269399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMarshmallow/pseuds/LadyMarshmallow
Summary: Kunigami Rensuke was unlike anyone Isagi ever met.He was bold and confident, fighting earnestly for what he wanted. A calm ocean, deep and unending, warmed by a soft kindness that he was glad to have received too many times to count.So really, it was no surprise that Isagi wanted him to be happy.He just didn’t expect that he would want to kiss him, too.Or Isagi Yoichi is the coolest football player in the country but is an absolute mess when it comes to love.





	#Cool in Football, Awkward with Crushes

**Author's Note:**

> A glorious 13k+ words of pure IsaKuni goodness? Yes please.
> 
> There are no spoilers here, so you can enjoy this to your heart's content.
> 
> Have fun!

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

The Blue Lock Project had long been over.

It had obviously been a success. The project managed to produce one of the best strikers in the country, giving them an edge on both national and international competitions.

Still, no one would probably suspect that the best striker in Japan was currently struggling with balancing his athletic career and university life. Apparently, it was easier to rise above 299 football players of monstrous caliber than to make it through an advanced math class without losing his mind.

Isagi Yochi didn’t count on calculus to be the one to finally defeat him.

Groaning to himself, Isagi planted his face on top of his desk, completely ignoring the stinging pain on his forehead when skin met wood. He had been attempting to solve problem number three of his take-home activity for nearly an hour now to no avail. Seriously, whose idea was it to combine numerical figures with the alphabet? It didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t like they were going to use calculus when buying junk food from the convenience store.

Honestly, Kunigami and Chigiri were probably the only ones from his former team around his age that had their lives under control. But then again, those two were _ smart _. Chigiri graduated high school with honors despite being held back by the Blue Lock project and was now in college with a full scholarship. Then, there was Kunigami who managed to secure a spot in one of the best universities in the country by scoring terrifyingly high on said university's entrance exams. But there was no time to dwell on that. Isagi really needed to do his homework, so with a sigh, Isagi straightened in his seat and picked up his pen again only to realize that his mind was uncooperatively blank.

“I didn’t skip lunch for this,” Isagi grumbled, the crinkling sound of his worksheet punctuating his every word. He was _ this _ close to tearing his worksheet to smithereens.

Speaking of lunch, wasn’t he supposed to meet Kunigami for lunch?

Shit.

Isagi froze for a second before fumbling for his phone, the device unlocking with a soft click. The numbers on his clock glared at him, telling him that he was nearly an hour late to his meeting with his friend.

_ 1:48 _

Guilt curled in the pit of his stomach, ugly and unpleasant.

If it was someone else, some random acquaintance he met somewhere, Isagi wouldn’t have felt so guilty for canceling. He would feel bad, of course, but the feeling of guilt chewing at him would never be as intense. This was Kunigami though, one of his closest friends. He knew Kunigami would understand, would never even think of holding it against him. Still, Isagi didn’t want to disappoint him. Just the mere thought of disappointing — and worse, upsetting — Kunigami already felt like an unforgivable crime.

How badly he wished he wouldn’t have to cancel. He had been looking forward to it. _ Kunigami _ had been looking forward to it, but now, he was going to tell him he couldn’t come.

Frowning to himself, he pulled out Kunigami’s contact number, trying to think of what to say, typing and retyping until he was able to settle for a half-decent message, quickly hitting send before he could change his mind.

**To: Kunigami**

_ Hey, sorry this is late and sudden, but I can’t make it today. Things came up. Sorry. _

The reply he got was immediate.

**From: Kunigami**

_ I’m coming over. _

Isagi could almost hear the worry seeping through Kunigami’s text message. It made him feel even worse.

**To: Kunigami**

_ I’m fine. You don’t have to. _

**From: Kunigami**

_ Too late. I’m on the bus now. _

Isagi let out a sigh, folding on himself like a withered flower. Really, Kunigami was one of the kindest people Isagi ever met. He had encountered a lot of people in his life, but no one was quite as kind as Kunigami. He was always worrying about him and the others, a silent guardian watching over them, even going as far as to defend him when some other players were being too rough after his team defeated theirs.

How would he be able to make it up to Kunigami one day? 

But alas, all he could do was wait for his friend to arrive. 

Isagi let out another sigh, defeated and suddenly exhausted.

Kunigami will be there in thirty minutes. Isagi thought it would be best to go back to his worksheet while he waited.

He managed to at least do seven problems out of fifteen when his phone beeped followed by a knock against his door, way too polite for it to be anyone else.

Scrambling, Isagi rushed to his door, tripping and stumbling gracelessly in his haste to open it. When he did, he was met by Kunigami who had a bewildered look on his face.

“Is your house on fire?”

“No, I – you’re really here.” Isagi stammered, tongue-tied and cheeks dyed pink. “Sorry, I didn’t show up.” 

Kunigami shook his head, understanding outlined in the small smile he was offering him. “Hey, it’s fine. You’re not the type to just leave people hanging, so I figured you might be busy.”

“I still feel bad though.” It was a feeling Isagi couldn’t shake so easily.

“You’re fine,” Kunigami assured, the ghost of his smile still not fading. Kunigami had always been one of the few that knew him best, and he must have picked up on his distress because he told him next, “though if it makes you feel better, buy me dango next time.”

Isagi could feel his lips stretch upwards, relieved and thankful, “Sure.”

“By the way, I brought snacks.”

True enough, Isagi noticed Kunigami holding up a bag that was obviously filled with snacks and drinks. The logo of the nearby convenience store printed in vivid green letters looked back at him, the sight of it reminding Isagi of the growling his stomach had been doing the past hour. Just thinking of food almost made Isagi bawl his eyes out. Dramatic, but understandable. He was a university student. He was allowed to be dramatic.

“Kunigami.” Isagi began, voice reverent and ready to worship the ground Kunigami walks on as he took the bag and unashamedly ate a rice ball, not even caring if he was getting grains of rice everywhere. “Thank you for moving here.”

Really, Isagi was grateful. If Kunigami had chosen to go to a university in his hometown, Isagi wouldn’t be stuffing himself with free rice balls right at this moment. He’d probably end up starving to death.

“Huh?”

Isagi chewed and swallowed. Food was really better when free. “You saved me! I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Don’t skip meals.”

“I know. I was just really busy.” Isagi chuckled. “Anyway, come in. You want something to drink?”

“Nah. I’m cool.” Kunigami placed his hands in his pockets, closely following him to his room.

“What about food? Have you eaten yet?” Isagi hoped that Kunigami hadn’t missed lunch because of him.

“Had some rice balls on the way here.”

That was good, or Isagi would have kicked himself if Kunigami answered in the negative. It was bad enough that he ditched him, Isagi didn’t want him to be hungry, too. He was relieved to hear that Kunigami at least ate something.

“So, what are you doing?” Kunigami mused, cutting off Isagi’s train of thought and bringing him back to the problem at hand.

“Calculus.” Isagi groaned, flopping back down on his chair.

Kunigami winced, “Ah.”

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Isagi admitted.

“You need help?”

“Is that an offer?” Isagi asked, unable to hide the hopeful tone of his voice. “Because I need all the help I can get.”

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

“Thanks. I’m really bad at numbers.” Isagi scratched his cheek sheepishly.

“Don’t mention it. I like helping you.”

Isagi could almost taste the honesty behind Kunigami’s words, and he smiled, trying to convey his appreciation and gratitude with that simple gesture. In response, Kunigami tilted his head slightly and smiled back. For a moment, the two of them just remained where they were, sharing secret smiles and enjoying the pleasant silence that settled between them.

Until a stray thought entered Isagi’s mind.

Kunigami, Isagi realized, was really good looking. 

Well, Kunigami had always been good looking. It wasn’t really that big of a secret. Piercing eyes and messy hair that somehow managed to look nice amongst other things, anyone with eyes could see that Kunigami was greatly blessed in the looks department, but Isagi thought that he looked even better when he smiles. Kunigami’s default expression was always so serious, but his smiles were different. Kunigami's smiles were like the first budding flowers of spring, small and tentative, just waiting to be unraveled and perhaps even shy, yet, they ever fail to bring out his boyish charm.

Isagi really liked seeing Kunigami smile. It always made him look softer, his appearance finally matching the core of his heart. It’d be great to see Kunigami smiling all the time, and —

Suddenly embarrassed with his own thoughts, Isagi quickly averted his gaze, heat rising to his cheeks. Kunigami’s good looks? Boyish charm?

What was all that about?

Sure, Kunigami was charming, but — Isagi shook his head as a wet dog would.

Math. 

He was blaming math.

“Hey, you okay?” Kunigami blinked slowly. Once. Twice. The way his eyes fluttered was just as mesmerizing.

Isagi asked himself if calculus was really this straining to the brain that he was acting like a fool lost in the woods. His heartbeat was going wild in his chest, too. Isagi was worried that he might be having a heart attack.

“Isagi?”

“Uhm. I’m fine. Just thinking about homework.” Isagi mumbled, quickly turning to face his desk instead of Kunigami, either to hide his burning cheeks or to keep himself from staring at Kunigami too long.

“Okay,” Kunigami didn’t sound convinced, but he let the matter drop much to Isagi’s relief. “Where do you need help?”

This Isagi could do. Thinking about math seemed easier than thinking about… about whatever he was thinking a few minutes ago.

“All of it, I think? I answered most of it, but I’m not sure I got all of them right,” he said, gesturing towards his worksheet, pleased that his voice didn't waver.

“Let me see.” Kunigami leaned closer to take a look at his homework, and Isagi shifted so his friend could see what he had been slaving over the past few hours.

One of Kunigami’s hands was on the back of Isagi’s chair, the other was braced on his desk. He was close, close enough that Isagi could easily touch him if wanted to and closer still that he caught a whiff of something coming from Kunigami, something nice and sweet.

“Did you eat candy?” Isagi blurted out, unable to hide his curiosity.

“No. Why?”

“You smell like candy.”

“Must be my shampoo.” Kunigami shrugged lightly. “I use the same one my little sister does because it makes my hair softer. It’s candy scented.”

“Oh,” Isagi hummed. _ ‘Shit! Why is that adorable?’ _

“Is the smell bothering you?”

“No. Just makes me want to eat candy.”

“I’ll bring candy next time,” Kunigami promised before looking over his formulas and computations again.

Isagi knew that Kunigami was explaining things to him, which part of his solution was right and which ones needed revisions, but for some reason, Isagi’s mind decided math could wait. Really, he already had someone who could help him survive calculus, and his brain decided that it would rather focus on Kunigami and his choice for a hair product.

It was hard not to.

Kunigami smells really nice.

And didn’t his profile look good, too? The shape of his nose and the curve of his jaw seemed more prominent from this angle.

This time, Isagi couldn’t stop his groan from spilling as he blushed something fierce.

Yeah.

It was definitely math’s fault.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

The next time Isagi saw Kunigami again, they were meeting up with Bachira.

Bachira said his mother won some tickets to the amusement park from the supermarket lottery, but since she couldn’t go with him because of her job, Bachira decided to invite them instead.

It had been a while since the three of them hang out, so Isagi was really excited. He loved spending time with all his friends, but he was the closest to Bachira, Kunigami, and Chigiri. The four of them have such clashing personalities, so it was always fun and interesting when they were at the same place at the same time. 

Unfortunately, Chigiri couldn't come with them due to some unforeseen circumstances. Chigiri didn't go into details when he declined the invitation, but Kunigami said it was probably because of a huge school project Chigiri had been grumbling about a few days ago.

Isagi was a little upset that Chigiri wouldn't be able to come, but still, he was thankful to be able to spend time with Bachira and Kunigami. So when the bus he was on finally arrived at its destination, Isagi hopped off it with a spring to his steps, ready to look for his friends. He thought he’d try to search for Kunigami first since he was tall and would be easier to spot.

It turned out, Isagi didn’t have to look for him. 

Kunigami found him first.

“Hey,” Kunigami greeted from behind him.

Isagi jumped, startled, whirling around to face his amused friend, “Don’t do that. I didn’t hear you.”

For such a big guy, Kunigami moved so quietly. Then again, it seemed fitting. Kunigami had always been the silent type anyway. At least when it didn’t involve football; Isagi remembered how Kunigami’s victorious roars every time he scored a goal always did something strange to his gut.

“My bad,” Kunigami said, eyes scanning the area. “Bachira’s not here yet?”

“He’s on the way. Said he got caught in a bit of traffic. Let’s wait for him near the entrance.”

Isagi didn’t mind the wait. It just meant that he would have to be alone with Kunigami for a little while, which wasn’t really a bad thing. In fact, it was always nice to be around Kunigami. He wasn’t loud or anything like that. It was almost peaceful.

If Bachira was a tornado of noise and activity, Kunigami was a calm ocean, presence vast and all-encompassing but never overwhelming. Isagi liked both of them a lot, but being with Kunigami was a different experience in its entirety. There was something about his friend that made it easy for him to just relax, take a deep breath, and simply be. Kunigami was intimidating at first glance, tall and with such a strong back, but Isagi always felt comfortable around him. It wasn’t different from being at home, Isagi surmised.

Isagi secretly loved spending some alone time with Kunigami.

“Aye, captain. Lead the way.”

Even if Kunigami had developed a tendency of teasing him like that.

“Oh, come on. Stop that.” Isagi grumbled half-heartedly. His friend had taken to calling him captain sometime during the Blue Lock project even though he wasn’t really one — none of them was. But when Kunigami called him captain for the first time, Isagi was thrown out of his axis. Then, pride surged in his every vessel, filling his blood with a kind of rush he didn’t know he needed right until that moment. He had always respected Kunigami, both as a player and as a person, and being acknowledged by him to such extent gave Isagi an unspeakable feeling that he never wanted to let go of. Still, it was embarrassing when Kunigami calls him that, especially when he was teasing him.

“Stop what?” Kunigami tilted his head, feigning innocence.

“When did I become captain anyway?” Isagi found himself asking, unable to think of anything else to say. That small head tilt was making his mind go blank.

“Since our match with Team V. No," Kunigami paused, and Isagi waited for him to continue, "even before that you're already acting like one. I always thought you’re amazing.”

And there it was. Kunigami’s blunt honesty and the way he would so casually give out compliments like he wasn’t even thinking about them. Kunigami always gave compliments like they were facts, like they were truths that can never be bent. Isagi knew none of them would say it out loud, but a compliment from Kunigami was always treasured and treated so preciously because it was always genuine.

Isagi liked that about him.

“Thanks,” he said, “but you know, I really admire you and the way you play. You’re really strong and cool.”

Isagi watched as Kunigami’s cheeks colored, still so painfully unused to being complimented in return. One of Isagi’s secret hobbies involved exploiting that fact. It was always entertaining to watch Kunigami’s expressions. He was always so composed that seeing him getting flustered was always a delight. It gave Isagi a weird sense of satisfaction knowing that he could pull such a reaction from his friend.

“Shut up.” Kunigami groaned, looking everywhere but him.

“Oh. You getting shy?”

The glare Kunigami sent his way in response to his teasing held no heat. In fact, he looked even more embarrassed now. Isagi had to resist the urge to snap a picture, several pictures actually. But before he lost his self-control, Bachira’s cheerful voice rose above the crowd, saving him from a possibly disastrous act.

“There you are!” Bachira jogged towards them, smile nearly splitting his face in half. “Did you wait long?”

“Not really. We just got here.” Isagi said.

“Cool! Let’s go inside!” Bachira announced before making a dash towards the entrance, expertly weaving through the crowd with practiced ease as if he knew where to turn and duck all along.

“Oi, Bachira! Slow down!” Kunigami called out, sounding every bit like the responsible person that he was as he moved to follow their very hyper friend. Isagi kind of understood why Igaguri and Naruhaya accidentally called him mom a few times.

When they finally caught up to Bachira, he was waiting for them at the entrance, waving happily.

"Let's go! Let's go! I want to try out a lot of rides, so we have to get in early." Bachira said, practically bouncing up and down, looking ready to burst from excitement. He was like a child, and his happiness was infectious that Isagi couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"Alright, we'll go, but you have to calm down," Isagi said, walking towards the line.

Lucky for them, the line wasn't that long, and they were inside the park in seconds.

Unluckily, Bachira's eyes locked with something right off the bat, and with how his eyes shone like newly polished diamonds, Isagi was sure that whatever he saw was most likely embarrassing.

True enough, Bachira pointed to one of the stalls in the park.

"Let's get those," Bachira announced, and Isagi realized with mild horror that he was pointing at those flashy head accessories the park was selling.

Isagi swore he saw animal ears and pointy hats displayed there, and he was sure he would look ridiculous in any of them. Besides, he was a university student and a national player. It would be really embarrassing if someone caught him wearing something so silly.

That was why he decided to ask Kunigami for help. Surely, Kunigami would understand.

"Hey–" Isagi began only to stop mid-sentence at the look on Kunigami's face.

Kunigami seemed just as eager as Bachira to get one of the head accessories on display.

It was the very moment that Isagi realized that he had already lost the battle before it even began. There was no way he could protest now seeing as Kunigami was also on board with Bachira's idea.

Two against one.

In the end, Isagi just gave in to his fate and followed his friends, unable to conceal his fondness for them.

Kunigami and Bachira were already choosing which head accessory to wear by the time Isagi reached them, and Isagi secretly snapped a photo. He was definitely going to frame it later.

“Oh! I want the one with the antlers!” Bachira said, grinning as he put on his fake antlers. “Aren’t I cute? Say it!”

“You look cute,” Isagi agreed. It wasn’t really a lie. Bachira had always been cute. Honestly, he'd even be cuter if Isagi didn't know how much of a little shit he was.

“Right!” If possible, Bachira's grin grew even wider, looking mighty pleased with Isagi's response. He gave Isagi a peace sign before turning to Kunigami. “What about you? What do you want to wear?”

“Polar bear,” Kunigami answered immediately, not even hesitating to put on the head accessory.

Of course, he was going to choose the polar bear one.

Isagi thought it was stupidly endearing how he was so ready to walk around the amusement park with fake polar bear ears on. 

To an outsider, it would be hard to think of Kunigami as something other than someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, what with his serious expression and sharp eyes, but Isagi had spent enough time with him to know that Kunigami could be cute, too. And that wasn’t even counting his many quirks.

“Oh! You're adorable!" Bachira was staring at Kunigami with wide eyes. “You should definitely let me adopt you. Isagi agrees with me, right?”

“Which part?”

“Kunigami being adorable.”

“Yup.” Isagi nodded honestly. What was he supposed to do? Lie?

“Are you making fun of me?” Kunigami pouted. He _ pouted _, and Isagi thought that yes, Kunigami really was adorable. You think it was impossible with his bad boy style, but the proof was right there.

“Never. You really look nice,” Isagi said earnestly, honestly. Maybe just a little too honest because Kunigami blushed so hard he probably put Mars to shame, which in turn made Isagi wish for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

“Kunigami looks cuter when he's flustered,” Bachira commented, shameless as always, and even with his own embarrassment, Isagi was actually glad Bachira could say what Isagi himself was thinking but was too much of a coward to voice out.

Kunigami brought one of his hands up, covering half of his burning face to hide his embarrassment, which wasn't really working because the tips of his ears were bright red. "Both of you leave me alone."

Bachira just laughed, the sound loud and boisterous, full of unrestrained amusement that Isagi was sometimes jealous of, but he did relent and let Kunigami recover. He turned his attention towards Isagi and asked, “What do you wanna wear?”

Isagi scanned the stall, and found one he liked, “Bat."

“You look nice like that, too,” Kunigami mumbled once Isagi put on the head accessory, and Isagi wasn't sure if it was to get back at him for teasing him because if so, it was working.

Isagi found his face burning a deep crimson, and it stayed that way even after they paid for the head accessories. Truthfully, he was only able to control his embarrassment when they finally reached the main circle of the amusement park.

The main area of the amusement park looked like half of a dream, a wonderland of colors and noise tightly woven together. The scent of cotton candy wafted through the air, punctuated by the loud chattering of people old and young. Everything made Isagi feel like a kid again, taking him back to the days when his biggest worry was whether the tooth fairy would really come to collect his tooth and give him money.

"Nice, isn't it? I haven't been in an amusement park forever," Bachira said, looking around like a kid in his favorite toy store.

"Me, too," Isagi said, "Where should we ride first?"

Bachira nudged Kunigami's arm, “You choose the first ride.”

“How ‘bout that one?” Kunigami asked, and of course, he would pick the rollercoaster of death. It really wasn’t the ride’s name — it was actually called _ Loops & Loops _ — but with its freakish height and amount of full and half loops, it might as well be.

“Is it not okay?” Kunigami questioned, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “We can ride something else. I don’t mind.”

Honestly, it was not okay. Isagi was shaking down to his bones just at the mere thought of being strapped in the death ride, but even though Isagi knew Kunigami meant every word when he said he didn’t mind riding something else, he was still looking at the rollercoaster with a hint of sadness, like not being able to ride it was causing him physical pain. How could Isagi possibly deny him the ride when he was making such a face?

“Nah, it’s cool. Let’s go.” Isagi was lying through his teeth, but he wouldn’t dare take his words back.

Kunigami beamed at his words, not quite smiling but with eyes that shone so brightly it was almost blinding. Kunigami was happy, and somehow, Isagi thought that maybe, everything was right in the world after all.

Bachira seemed pleased with his decision, too, because he cheered so loudly people turned to look at them. Not that Bachira minded; he just grinned at them and cheered even louder, “Yay! We’re riding a rollercoaster!”

And so, their first ride was decided.

In all honesty, the ride wasn’t as bad as Isagi expected. Mostly because it was easier to focus on Kunigami’s whoops of joy next to him and Bachira’s excited shrieks in front of them than the fact that he was upside down one moment, and plunging to his death the next.

It didn’t mean he wasn’t wishing for the ride to be over soon.

Several loops and out of body experiences later, Isagi found himself sitting on a bench, hunched over and trying not to die.

“I’ll get you some water,” Bachira announced before running off somewhere.

“You okay?” Kunigami inquired from next to him once Bachira disappeared from the crowd, awkwardly rubbing circles against his back.

“I’ll live,” Isagi answered as he tried to sit up properly. His insides were still in their very own version of a roller coaster, but he’ll live. Though he was a little disappointed when Kunigami stopped rubbing his back. Kunigami’s hand felt really nice, similar to the gentle warmth coming from the fireplace the moment it was lit up. But Isagi couldn’t exactly tell him to keep rubbing his back, so he didn’t say anything else.

Silence descended between them after that, not entirely unpleasant, and broken only by Kunigami when he spoke.

“Hey, thanks.”

“For what?”

“For agreeing to ride the rollercoaster. I knew you did that because you realized we really wanted to ride it. So, thanks. But next time, just say it’s not cool. I really wouldn’t mind. Bachira wouldn’t either.” Kunigami gave his shoulder a friendly nudge. His warmth seeping through Isagi’s skin, settling there and enveloping him in a strange sort of contentment.

And yeah. It might have been the wildest roller coaster ride of his life — it was a surprise their head accessories didn't fall off — but it wasn’t really that bad. Not at all. Not when he got to seat next to Kunigami afterward, receiving his boundless kindness and having him take care of him. It felt wonderful to be at the receiving end of this side of Kunigami.

He told him so.

“It’s not bad. I was scared at first. Come on! It's a death ride! I don’t even know why you and Bachira liked it so much, but I had fun in the end. I’m never setting foot in a roller coaster ever again though. That was enough for a lifetime.”

That earned him quite snickers from his friend, and Isagi was met with the realization that he didn’t really mind that Kunigami was laughing at him. In fact, Isagi probably spent a few minutes just watching Kunigami, taking in the way his fingers curled to cover his mouth in a poor attempt to muffle the sound of his laughter. It was hard to look away, and a part of Isagi urged him to commit every change in the tone of Kunigami's laughter to memory.

And Isagi did so, never taking his eyes off of Kunigami until his friend calmed down in time for Bachira's return.

“Here’s your water,” Bachira said the moment he stopped in front of them, handing him the bottle. “You’re not dying now?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for the water.”

Bachira beamed, “No problem. Let’s walk around before we decide what to ride next.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Kunigami agreed before he moved to stand. "Isagi?"

"What?" Isagi asked, confused.

"Are you still feeling dizzy?"

For a heartbeat, Isagi didn't know why Kunigami was staring at him with a mix of worry and inquiry until he realized that he was holding onto one of the sleeves of Kunigami's jacket, successfully preventing his friend from taking another step. Isagi's eyes widened, heat pooling from his toes to his stomach before manifesting on his face, and he quickly let go of Kunigami as if burned.

Isagi admitted to himself that he already kind of started to miss the feeling of Kunigami being next to him the moment he stood up, but he didn't know it was to the point that he would try to stop him unconsciously.

That was… Well, that was just embarrassing. And strange.

"Can you give me a few more minutes? My stomach's still turning." Which was only a half a lie. His stomach was really rebelling, but it wasn't really from the rollercoaster ride he willingly subjected himself into just a few minutes ago. It was from something else, something far larger and deeper than his shallow excuse, but it was not something Isagi wanted to think about. At least not now.

"Okay. Take it easy." Kunigami — bless his pure heart and soul — just nodded and sat back down. Isagi tried his best to pretend that Kunigami sitting next to him didn't make him happy.

Bachira nodded and sat next to Isagi's other side, grinning, "The rollercoaster really got you, huh?"

"Have you seen how many full loops there were?" Isagi defended himself, thankful that Bachira, albeit not intentionally, was giving him something else to think about. 

His gratefulness increased when Bachira barraged them with different topics one after another, successfully making Isagi forget about his worries and about the strange thoughts he had for one of his best friends.

Bachira talked for a few more minutes until Isagi decided that the weird feeling in his chest finally went away, figuring out that it was time to get up. He didn't want to stay on the bench when they could be having fun.

"We should check out other rides," Isagi said, interrupting Bachira's story about the time he burnt some popcorn.

"You're okay now?" Kunigami inquired, brows still creased with worry.

When Isagi gave his affirmative, Kunigami immediately stood up, stretching right in front of Isagi, his muscles rippling fluidly beneath his clothes. It was a rather mesmerizing sight, and Isagi had to remind himself not to stare too much.

Next to him, Bachira was having no such difficulty, his friend moving to immediately stand next to Kunigami, and without a care in the world, linked one of his arms with Kunigami’s, casual as ever. It was a normal enough occurence that Kunigami didn’t even flinch, simply letting Bachira do as he pleased. Bachira had always been a touchy person; it wasn’t something new. What was new was the growing feeling of envy engulfing Isagi’s very being as he watched his two friends. He couldn't stop thinking of how Bachira can be physically close to Kunigami with ease, wondering why he wasn’t brave enough to do the same. He didn’t even know why he felt that way.

But then, it hit him like a brick wall falling from the sky at top speed. He was jealous of Bachira — 

Isagi swallowed.

— because he wanted to touch Kunigami, wanted to be physically close to him, feel Kunigami’s skin underneath his fingertips, let their warmth mingle together.

The intensity of his thoughts startled him, every part of him buzzing with emotions so foreign he couldn’t even name them, emotions that he shoved harshly inside a metaphorical bottle and locked away in the deepest parts of his soul. Isagi couldn’t understand the sudden feelings whirling inside him like a storm, and he really didn't want to dwell on things beyond his understanding.

“Isagi? Are you sure you're ready to go?” Kunigami’s voice snapped Isagi out of his thoughts, finally noticing his friend who was looking at him with obvious worry.

“Yeah, I'm fine. I got distracted.” Isagi mumbled.

Kunigami shook his head, “You sure? You were spacing out.”

He was? Isagi didn’t realize. 

Quickly, he gave his friends a reassuring smile, hoping that it was as steady as he wanted it to be, making a half-excuse, “I saw a kid trying to throw darts in that stall over there.”

“You wanna try it?” Kunigami asked, genuinely interested.

“Nah. It looks like a rigged game.” Isagi shrugged, glad that Kunigami bought his excuse at least.

But when he chanced a glance at Bachira’s direction, he saw him looking at him intently, eyes piercing and disconcerting as a bird’s stare. It was like he was staring _ in _ him, at his soul, and seeing every secret he kept locked away.

“I see. I see.” Bachira said.

Isagi didn’t know what Bachira saw, but the wide grin he gave him would most likely haunt him for the rest of his life, distracting him from his thoughts about his other friend. No one could blame him. That kind of smile didn’t bode well for anyone. The last time Bachira smiled like that, someone nearly ended up with a broken arm, namely Bachira himself because he thought it was fun to pretend that a piece of wood is the perfect sled and slide down a grassy hill.

"Isagi wants to have fun, huh?" If possible Bachira's grin grew even wider while his eyes never left him. "Let’s go to the haunted house then!”

"Now? Isn't it too early?" Kunigami asked confused.

"It's never too early for a walk in a haunted house," Bachira countered, huddling even closer to Kunigami. "Alright! Let's huddle close! Isagi, you take Kunigami’s other arm.”

Isagi almost choked on his own spit, “What?”

Was Bachira crazy? Huddle close? He wanted to be physically close to Kunigami, but this was just too much. Isagi wondered if Bachira was trying to end him right there and then.

Bachira might have seen the hesitation on his face because he let go of Kunigami and grabbed his arm instead, “Ah, just do it!”

Isagi’s heart pounded in his ears, and he swallowed. He couldn't even do anything when Bachira forcibly looped his arms around Kunigami's. Isagi didn't even have the guts to look at Kunigami. He was way too embarrassed.

“See? Not so hard, is it?” Bachira asked, looking pleased with his handiwork. He nodded a couple of times before taking his original place on Kunigami's other arm. “To the haunted house!”

And as Bachira marched forward and dragged them along, Isagi tried really hard not to think about how firm the muscles in Kunigami’s arm were.

To Isagi, the haunted house was a rather fun experience.

Isagi had never been afraid of anything until now that he forgot his previous embarrassment and really huddled close without thinking. Kunigami seemed big and strong, and it was reassuring to have him around. Everything just looked so realistic, Isagi wouldn't be able to eat meat for a while. Even Bachira and Kunigami seemed to flinch at things; although Kunigami never screamed the way Bachira did. That was the highlight of their haunted house trip, and Isagi would never let Bachira live it down. Ever.

Too soon, their time in the haunted house ended, and they found themselves walking in the amusement park's main circle yet again, Bachira talking nonstop about their experience.

“I can’t believe you said sorry to the zombie.” Bachira giggled, tugging Kunigami forward, which in turned tugged Isagi forward.

Kunigami flushed a little, “That’s because you almost knocked him over.”

“But it was fun, right Isagi?” Bachira turned to him and winked. For some reason, Isagi felt like there was a hidden meaning behind that wink.

“Y-yeah.” Isagi nodded, more nervous at the way Bachira was looking at him so intently than when he was back inside the haunted house. They've been friends for years, and Isagi still didn't know what Bachira was thinking most times.

Thankfully for him, Bachira gets distracted so easily that his intense staring didn't last long, courtesy of a cotton candy stall.

“Oh! Cotton candy! I’ll get us some,” Bachira announced happily, letting Kunigami's arms go to make a run for the cotton candy stall just a few meters away.

“Oi, Bachira!” Kunigami called, simultaneously exasperated and worried.

“Be right back!” Bachira called back, grinning.

Just like that, Bachira left them for cotton candy, and because Bachira was already far away, Isagi never noticed his best friend snickering quietly and knowingly to himself.

Without Bachira, Isagi was left standing there with Kunigami, their arms still linked with each other, and not knowing what to do.

“We should follow him,” Kunigami said slowly, shyly, before Isagi felt him shift. Isagi tried to ignore the sudden bitterness he felt when he thought that Kunigami was letting go. 

Only, Kunigami didn’t.

Isagi would be lying if he said that he wasn't startled when he felt one of Kunigami’s hands close around his wrist. Kunigami’s grip was tentative and awkward, but Isagi never felt as grounded as he did now.

Kunigami avoided his gaze, but he kept his hand there and didn’t let go for a long time. Not even after they reached Bachira and began eating the biggest cotton candy Isagi had ever seen.

Somehow, Isagi felt elated and terrified all at once.

Hopefully, he'd have some time to think about it.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

But life wasn't easy, and Isagi's thoughts during their amusement park trip were pushed to the back of his mind, overtaken by the harshness of reality that was his studies.

It was only weeks later that he got a break, and after being stressed for days on end, Isagi found himself typing a message on his phone.

**To: Kunigami**

_ Hey. You doing anything today? _

**From: Kunigami**

_ Nah. Just finished a school project. _

**To: Kunigami**

_ Can I come over to your place? _

**From: Kunigami**

_ Sure. _

Isagi let out a relieved sigh at the reply he got.

Usually, he wouldn’t even dare bother Kunigami. He knew how tough Kunigami’s classes were, and he gets really busy sometimes, but Isagi was stressed out. Basking in Kunigami’s calming presence sounded like a really good thing to him at the moment. Besides, Kunigami’s place was the closest to him. That, and he just really wanted to hang out with him.

It was a bit strange, but lately, Isagi had found himself seeking out Kunigami’s presence more than he probably should. It was just that Isagi liked how it always felt so peaceful being around Kunigami.

That was why he was really excited to hang out with him.

Honestly, Isagi had never been so glad that Kunigami moved out of his hometown, and can now be reached in just under thirty minutes, which was the reason Isagi was now sitting comfortably on Kunigami's living room couch, Kunigami's cat napping happily on his lap.

"I'm kinda jealous. You're studying in one of the top universities, and you don't look stressed at all," Isagi found himself saying — whining — about his current situation. "Tell me your secrets."

Kunigami shook his head, "I don't have any secrets. I just take a break whenever I need to."

Isagi wondered if he could do that. Kunigami was the responsible type, so he probably knew how to manage his time well. Isagi really needed to ask him for tips.

Honestly, Kunigami was amazing. He wasn’t in a relationship now, but whoever he’d end up with in the future would be so damn lucky. He knew for sure that Kunigami would treasure them. Well, whoever they may be, they better take good care of Kunigami like he deserved to be taken care of, or Isagi swore he’d kick their ass. He was the best striker in the country, his kicks were really strong.

But then, he frowned at the thought. Sure, they were university students now. It was normal for them to think of relationships and all that. He knew Imamaru was already dating someone. Even Igarashi admitted that he liked a girl in one of his classes and said that if she let him, he’d court her. So really, dating someone wasn’t a bad thing. It was just how it goes, but somehow, the possibility of Kunigami dating someone greatly bothered Isagi.

Maybe he had gotten so used to having Kunigami to himself that the thought of not having him around as much anymore felt unpleasant. Kunigami was always looking out for them, for him. They had always stood next to one another, and losing his place by Kunigami’s side was terrifying to the point of nausea. Isagi didn’t want that.

Heh. Guess football wasn’t the only thing he was selfish at.

“Hey, don’t space out on me. You're going to make me think I'm boring you," Kunigami said, and as if Artemis realized he was spacing out on her human, she suddenly jolted awake.

Isagi yelped, getting a face full of fur as Kunigami’s cat suddenly launched at him, clinging to his head and playfully nipping at whatever part of his skin she could find.

“Get her off me!” He screeched — embarrassing as it was — as he tried to pry Kunigami's cat off him.

Kunigami snorted, amused. “I don’t know. She looks comfortable there.”

“Ow! She bit my ear!”

This time, Kunigami turned his head away, shoulders shaking. He had a hand over his mouth, trying and failing to stifle his laughter, a sound that although familiar seemed foreign enough due to its intensity. It made Isagi snap his mouth shut, unable to stop himself from looking at Kunigami in nothing but awe, his mind full of nothing and everything. Artemis finally let go of him, but Isagi remained frozen from where he sat.

After a long time of being around him, it was no secret to Isagi that Kunigami's laughter was a rarity. Kunigami was actually pretty reserved most times, and the times he did laugh, it was always soft, polite even. But now, it was different. New. Kunigami’s eyes never crinkled the way they were doing now. So Isagi watched, not daring to take his eyes off his friend in fear of missing such a rare moment. He watched Kunigami’s face glow with unbidden joy, brighter and brighter until he felt like he was staring at a supernova. He listened to the sound of his laughter, soft at first like the pitter-patter of a gentle summer rain, rising in volume with every amused shake of his shoulders.

This.

This was Kunigami when he was at his happiest.

And Isagi felt the desire to kiss him, an urge so strong that it almost made him stumble. He wanted to kiss him, do anything to make him laugh like that again, and again, and, again, be the source of his happiness and —

Oh.

Isagi’s eyes widened, heat quickly rising to his cheeks as his heart started beating wildly inside his chest, thundering beneath his ribcage like a football stadium full of people screaming for the winning goal all at once, loud but not deafening enough to drown all the thoughts looping inside his head, twisting left and right, up and down, and back again.

His own feelings caught him off guard, attacking him when he least expected and creeping up in the forefront of his mind when his defenses were at their lowest. The sudden revelation caused the rag beneath his feet to be yanked away, rattling his entire world and throwing him out of orbit.

He wanted to make Kunigami Rensuke happy.

Apparently, he also wanted to kiss him.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

The aftermath of Isagi’s epiphany didn’t hit him, not completely, until he was in the safety of his own room, tucked in the corner of his bed, face burning nine shades of red.

He had spent the entire day in a daze. At least when he wasn’t staring at Kunigami, which was 99% of the time. It was like he was seeing Kunigami in a different light, and he wanted to remember everything about him now that he was seeing him as more than one of his best friends. It was embarrassing, but he couldn’t help it. He never really had a crush before. 

Sure, Isagi wasn't a stranger to the concept of liking someone — he had read books and magazines about it; his former teammates from school constantly teased each other about it in the locker rooms — but he had never really counted on experiencing it firsthand. It barely even crossed his mind until now. All he had going for him was football. That was enough for him, so he wasn’t bothered when his friends during high school started getting into relationships while he remained obsessed with being the best football player in existence. 

To put it bluntly, he never had to deal with having feelings for a friend before, much less having actual _ feelings _.

_ 'But I didn't know Kunigami before.' _

Yeah.

Yeah, that was right. 

He didn't know Kunigami before. 

And really, it all made sense now, didn't it?

Why he didn’t want Kunigami dating someone else. The way his heart would flutter whenever Kunigami sent him a short message asking him about his day. The desire to always hear Kunigami’s voice and just be close to him. It also explained how he couldn’t stop staring at Kunigami, how he’d notice even his tiniest quirks. How he just wanted to see Kunigami smile, and how it felt better knowing that he was the one who put a smile on his best friend's lips.

In all honesty, it wasn't really a bad thing, liking someone — liking Kunigami — that is. People fall in love with others a lot. Isagi just happened to be caught off guard by the realization that he likes someone, and although Isagi hadn't expected for that person to be one of his best friends, accepting it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. 

Truth was, Isagi wasn't bothered by the notion that he liked Kunigami.

Not at all.

Kunigami Rensuke was, and would always be, one of the best people to ever walk the planet after all. It wasn't even an exaggeration, at least Isagi thought so.

So really, the problem wasn't liking one of his best friends.

What he was really worried about was what he should do next.

He didn't want to mess up. 

Kunigami, dear and precious, was his friend first and foremost. 

Before Isagi even realized that he was _ in love _ with Kunigami, he already loves him as a friend, and Isagi knew that Kunigami loves him just the same. It was the kind of love that Isagi treasured more than anything, more than his fierce love for football even. Kunigami's friendship was one of the things he didn't want to lose, just the mere thought of it was enough to put the ice of dread in his blood, filling his every vein until it was hard to breathe.

Ruining what he had with Kunigami, a relationship they cultivated for years now, something built from trust and respect, even healthy rivalry, was a scary thought, so Isagi did what he thought was best.

He shoved everything, all his worries and newfound feelings, inside the metaphorical bottle he had been keeping locked away and tried not to think about it.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

The keyword was tried.

Ignoring his newfound feelings for Kunigami didn't last for a week. In fact, his resolve didn't even last for three days. Because on impulse, Isagi texted every member of his former team — minus Kunigami — about his discovery.

He was pretty sure that what he sent was something that went along the lines of _ ‘I have a crush on Kunigami! Please help.’ _He couldn’t be too sure. He was a panicking mess at that time.

For some reason, his friends decided that his current plight was worth meeting up for. And so, here they were, nearly all members of the infamous Team Z, cramped together in a small booth of a busy fast-food restaurant. Isagi was squeezed between Imamaura and the restaurant window, his fingers tapping the tabletop in uneven beats.

“So,” Imamura began, eyeing him intently, “Kunigami?”

Isagi’s face flushed, and he nodded.

“I see,” Iemon mumbled, looking at him with a gentle smile. “That makes sense.”

Isagi just stared at Iemon who was sitting next to Bachira, vigilantly watching Bachira and making sure that he wasn’t going to spill any ketchup all over the table or himself. Usually, it was Kunigami’s job to make sure Bachira’s rowdiness would be down to a minimum, but he wasn’t here. Kunigami _ shouldn’t _be here. Isagi would die if he was here. Granted, it would probably be a good death, but he’d die.

But that wasn’t the point he was going for. Though, admittedly, it was becoming hard to think of anything else when he started thinking about Kunigami. Anyway, the point was that his friends were just continuing with their lives, eating sandwiches and fries and drinking soda like Isagi didn’t just admit to being head over heels for Kunigami.

“Uhm. What?” Isagi blinked dumbly, wondering why his friends’ reactions were so lackluster compared to his own, which felt like an explosion. He really freaked out when he realized he wanted to hold Kunigami’s hand in a romantic way, but his friends were just acting normally.

Shouldn’t their reactions be more animated than what he was currently getting? He expected them to be shocked, not this quiet sort of acceptance. It wasn’t a bad reaction, not really. In fact, he was glad his friends were taking his confession well, but it was still strange. It was weird, and he wanted to know why. He just didn’t know how to ask.

Nervously, he took a sip of his own drink, only realizing that it was a bad idea when Chigiri spoke.

“Honestly, we always thought you were just trying to keep your crush a secret. Not that it was really working.” Chigiri said as if reading his mind. “No offense, but you're pretty obvious.”

Isagi choked, and Imamura kindly rubbed circles across his back.

Obvious? He was obvious?

“I’m what?” Isagi asked once he was sure he wasn’t going to die from a glass of soda.

“Wow. I know you’re dumb, but I didn't know it was this bad.” Raichi groaned, leaning forward as if it would help get his point across. “You stare at him when he’s not looking. Which is all the fucking time.”

“You hang out with him a lot in Blue Lock! Even when the project was over, you still spend lots of time together. Remember when we went to the beach? You offered to share a room because the receptionist messed up. You can ask anyone, like Bachira ‘cause he’s your best friend and everything, but you asked Kunigami. Oh! And you always invited him to walk around with you. You didn’t invite anyone else.” Igarashi seconded, gestures wild and excited. He was grinning broadly as if he knew about Isagi’s embarrassing crush on his friend all along.

And, oh god. Had he really liked Kunigami that long and was only realizing now? How come it took him literal years to notice that he had a crush on one of his closest friends? Everyone else already knew before he did. They were even saying he was _ really _obvious, and it must be true if even Igarashi could tell. It made Isagi wonder if Kunigami knew.

What if Kunigami knew and decided to confront him? What would he say to Kunigami? What would _ Kunigami _ say? 

Thinking all of these was making him dizzy. 

What was he supposed to do now?

“You don’t have to be so nervous,” Kuon spoke for the first time that day, “I don’t think he noticed.”

“Really?” 

That was a relief.

A hum, “Kunigami can be clueless when it counts.”

Isagi nodded and scratched his head, “But what do I do?”

“Kiss him,” Raichi suggested right away, all parts shameless and smug.

“Ask him to be your boyfriend.” Bachira urged.

“Maybe you can start by giving him things? Stuff he likes?” Naruhaya said.

“He likes cats!” Bachira raised his hand, grinning widely. “We send cat videos to each other all the time!”

Isagi knew that Kunigami likes cats — though cats were only second to polar bears in Kunigami’s heart — after all, he hangs out a lot at Kunigami’s place. It was also no secret to him that Kunigami has a cat called Artemis. In fact, it took Artemis jumping at him to make him realize that he wanted to kiss his friend. But he couldn’t give Kunigami another cat. His apartment building only allows one pet per flat. Besides, the only thing Isagi wanted to give Kunigami was the world, maybe the universe if he asked.

“You send cat videos to one another?” Igarashi asked, bringing Isagi back to reality.

Bachira nodded, “He also helps me with homework.”

This time, it was Naruhaya who raised his hand, “Me too!”

“He’s really smart,” Isagi piped in with a goofy smile. It was hard not to brag about Kunigami. He was just really amazing. “I texted him for help once. He called me and helped me with homework.”

Yes. Kunigami called him and stayed on the phone until Isagi finished his homework. It was great. Well, it would have been fantastic if Isagi could actually focus on his homework instead of the rumble of Kunigami’s voice. Still.

“He called you? That’s not fair! He never calls me when I ask help for homework,” Naruhaya whined.

“Me neither,” Bachira said, but he wasn’t whining about it like Naruhaya was. He looked pleased. Like he knew something they didn’t.

He’d ask Bachira about it later because right now, Isagi was more concerned about something else. He just learned that both Bachira and Naruhaya asked Kunigami for help with their homework, and while Kunigami helped them, he only called Isagi. It made him feel special. It was dumb, but he was really happy.

“There it is!” Raichi almost sounded victorious as he pointed at him.

“Huh?”

“Your _ mushy _ face.” Raichi rolled his eyes. 

“You make that face when you’re staring at Kunigami." Chigiri seconded, "or when you're thinking about him. Like right now."

“You should just tell him,” Gagamaru suggested before taking a giant bite from his tuna sandwich.

Maybe he should, Isagi thought as he took a bite of his own sandwich, churning thoughts inside his head and weighing every suggestion from his friends.

In the end, nothing came out of his meeting with his former teammates. Halfway through their conversation, Bachira got bored and decided to try catapulting pieces of fries into Naruhaya’s mouth — Iemon, Kuon, and Chigiri trying desperately to stop them both and failing — until one piece of fry landed on Raichi’s plate. In turn, Raichi got annoyed and yelled so loudly they got kicked out of the restaurant.

But no one really seemed bothered by it. In fact, they were all smiling and laughing as they stumbled out of the restaurant. Some college students they were. They were rowdier than a bunch of elementary school kids.

Ah well, Isagi thought this was nice, too.

He was thankful to have friends like them.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

Isagi should have known that when he called his friends, some consequences were bound to happen. He should have, but Isagi had never been the sharpest when it came to things that didn’t involve football. So he never really gave it any thought when Iemon, Gagamaru, Imamura, and Kuon decided to take everyone to the aquarium. Isagi was informed that the four of them all chipped in to buy everyone tickets to the aquarium, claiming that it was their gifts to their juniors for working hard.

Isagi agreed right away. He liked hanging out with his friends, and he would have an excuse to see Kunigami again. Not that he couldn’t see him whenever he wanted to. He definitely could. It was just it would be suspicious to keep appearing in front of Kunigami’s doorstep every day for no reason at all. A very tempting thought, something that Isagi had to talk himself out of more times than he should.

It wasn't easy holding so much affection for a single person that he felt the need to see him every waking moment of his life. At one point, Isagi wondered how his heart, as small as it was, could contain such fierce admiration for Kunigami.

It was even harder to keep his feelings in check when Kunigami was right there. Really, it was a wonder Kunigami hadn't melted yet with how much Isagi was staring at him.

"Just kiss him already," Raichi's voice startled him outside of his thoughts, and he whirled around to face him, face burning scarlet. He must have been making such a funny face because Raichi let out an obnoxious cackle, giving his shoulder a rather hard pat. "Whatever, dude. Good luck with that crush of yours."

Raichi gave him another pat — much gentler this time — before he walked away to join Kuon whom he immediately got into an argument with. Funny, how those two seem to get along but go at each other's throats whenever they could.

But still, maybe Isagi should try not to stare too much. If Raichi noticed, there's a high chance Kunigami would, too.

And as always, Bachira came to his rescue, effectively distracting him with a question.

“Do you think they have dolphins?” Bachira asked, staring at the entrance of the aquarium.

It was Naruhaya who answered for him, “It’s an aquarium. Of course, they do! Right?”

“Yes. There’s a dolphin show in a few hours," Isagi answered, looking at the flyer Iemon handed him a while ago.

Bachira's face lit up the more they speak until he was jumping up and down, “Let’s go see them before the show!”

“Yeah! Let's go!” Naruhaya agreed, looking ready to bolt.

“Don’t run,” Kunigami said before Bachira and Naruhaya could even take a single step forward. Just like that, Bachira and Naruhaya paused, quickly falling into step next to Kunigami, perfectly behaved like they weren’t trying to make a run for it just a while ago.

It was almost like magic how one sentence from Kunigami had the ability to prevent a Bachira-Naruhaya combined chaos. Kunigami really was the impulse control of the entire team.

"He's amazing, isn't he?" Chigiri smiled at him knowingly, "But you already know that, right?"

"I – that's – yeah. He is," Isagi admitted, his blush returning when Chigiri chuckled at his plight.

"Ease up, and just act natural," Chigiri advised, and if there was an advice Isagi would follow with no questions asked, it would be Chigiri's, so Isagi did as told, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Thanks, Chigiri."

"I didn't do anything," Chigiri dismissed, before pointing to the others who were already a couple of feet away from them. "We should go."

Soon after, Isagi found himself inside of the aquarium, marveling at the feeling of being underwater, his friends scattered around the premises, pointing and laughing at some of the weirder marine creatures they found. They were rather noisy, mostly Bachira and Raichi, and creating chaos in their wake that Isagi was getting embarrassed for them.

The only ones who seemed behaved were Kuon, Iemon, Chigiri, and Kunigami, the last one catching Isagi's attention more than anybody else.

“What’s your favorite?” Isagi couldn't help but ask, pretending to stare at a clownfish in an attempt to appear unsuspicious. He wanted to know everything that there is to know about Kunigami, but he didn't want Kunigami to think that he was weird for asking and staring at him.

"The pufferfish," Kunigami answered, sounding a little dazed, eyes tracking the movement of the pufferfish swimming nearby, snickering lightly when it inflated.

It was such a nice sound that Isagi made the mistake of looking at Kunigami and found his breath caught in his throat.

Kunigami was standing underneath the dim lights of the aquarium, just below its arching glass, his skin awashed with a blue so deep that it was almost surreal. And as if that wasn't enough, something huge swam above, casting intricate shadows on Kunigami's face.

Kunigami looked enchanting, and Isagi, spellbound, recalled a legend he heard in passing, a story from long ago of creatures born from the union of the waves and the moon. The lore said that they were half-human, half-fish, beautiful and mesmerizing and deadlier than a hundred storms at sea, singing promises of love and eternal happiness to lure sailors to their watery grave.

And Isagi thought that if Kunigami was a siren waiting to drag him below the waves, then, he wouldn’t mind getting lured towards his demise.

The intensity of his thoughts was too much even for him, and he felt the need to run away.

“I need to run to the bathroom," he said and then making a run for it before anyone could answer.

Isagi lied. 

He really didn’t need to go to the bathroom. It was just that Kunigami standing under the dim lights of the aquarium was one of the most breathtaking sights he had ever seen, and his desire to march up to him and just kiss him senseless immediately became unbearable.

“Calm down, Yoichi. You’re the best football player. You can handle a crush.” Isagi mumbled, psyching himself up with a slap to both sides of his cheeks, strong enough that some guys got startled at the sound. “You can do this.”

He couldn’t do it.

Not when he saw Kunigami waiting for him. Isagi was sure Kunigami would have gone along with the others, but instead, he was met by the sight of Kunigami leaning against one of the walls just outside the hallway leading to the bathroom.

Kunigami hadn't noticed him yet, his eyes trained on the jellyfish tank nearby, hands hidden inside his jacket pockets. He was the epitome of nonchalance, yet his charisma never dwindled, which was evident from the number of people giving him furtive glances.

How could someone look so nonchalant yet so cool at the same time? It wasn’t fair. Isagi thought, heart buzzing with so much want.

“You done?” Kunigami asked once he finally noticed him.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Isagi told him, feeling a little sheepish.

“I wanted to.”

It was a simple answer, words typical from someone like Kunigami; however, those words, simple and innocent they may be, still had an undeniable effect on Isagi, and one by one, he felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter to life.

And as they fall into step next to one another, Isagi realized how close they were being, hyper-aware of how his fingers were sometimes brushing against Kunigami's, and Isagi thought that he felt the exact moment the butterflies in his stomach turned to hummingbirds.

The rest of their trip had been hazy after that, and all Isagi remembered was getting wet during the dolphin show, Kunigami's laughter, Kunigami's enjoyment, and _ Kunigami _. 

Before Isagi knew it, they were already inside the souvenir shop with him staring at Kunigami who was busy looking for souvenirs he could give his sisters.

"Don't just stand there, do something," Chigiri whispered next to him, effectively bringing him out of his daze.

"Do what?"

"I don't know. You're the one with a crush here."

"Huh? But don't you have a crush on —"

"Isagi, I will shove this starfish down your throat if you try to finish that sentence," Chigiri interrupted, smiling sweetly while holding up a palm-sized ceramic figure of a blue starfish.

Holy shit.

"Right," Isagi swallowed nervously, "I'm, uh, gonna go… do something. Yeah. I'm gonna go do something."

Isagi would never admit it, but he never excused himself from someone so fast.

Chigiri was _ scary. _

But Chigiri also said that he should do something. It wasn't a bad idea, but Isagi didn't know what he should do.

Until something caught his attention.

Grinning to himself, Isagi thought he knew just what to do.

Although that was the case, Isagi had to wait until they were ready to go home to gather all his courage and approach Kunigami.

"Hey, hold out your hand for a minute," Isagi told Kunigami, inwardly congratulating himself when he was able to keep his voice steady and casual-sounding.

Kunigami blinked curiously but did as was told, and Isagi dropped a keychain with a pufferfish charm on top of his palms.

"This one's for you," he said, averting his gaze.

“This," Kunigami began, sounding a bit unsure, "is for me?”

Isagi wondered if he was being too forward, so he tried to backtrack, “You said you like the pufferfish, so I thought, ah –”

“Thank you.” Kunigami interrupted, voice taking a tone that's a mix between earnest and happy. “I’ll take care of it.”

Isagi chanced a look at his friend, and when he saw the way his eyes softened as he traced every small detail of the keychain, Isagi was certain that his tiny gift would be treasured and loved.

And here, just beyond the dancing azure of the aquarium, Isagi fell in love a little more.

Unbeknown to Isagi, his friends were all wearing matching grins, secretly beaming at each other for a job well done.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

Isagi met up with Bachira and Chigiri a few days after their aquarium trip.

Nothing really eventful happened in between except for the one he was currently telling his friends. Although they seem to be more interested in making fun of him rather than listening to his woes.

“Wow,” Bachira exclaimed, his amazement evident in the tone of his voice, “is this how you act when you’re sleep deprived? You’re rambling like a drunk man. This is worse when we're still in Blue Lock.”

Isagi gave his best friend a half-hearted glare, pouting when Bachira remained unfazed, “Do you want to hear what happened or not?”

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop teasing.” Bachira amended, leaning forward as if to emphasize his interest. “So? How did your sleepover go?”

Isagi took a deep breath, more than ready to answer that question. Honestly, he was dying to share it with someone because he felt like his mind and heart would explode if he kept everything to himself.

“Well, I stayed over at his place the other night because I was bored. And uhg. I wanted to see him. And he was wearing this shirt with a cat logo on it that says ‘I’m PURRfect.’ He said it was a gag gift from his sister, but he secretly liked it. It was so ridiculous. I wanted to take twenty pictures and make all of them my phone background," Isagi said in one breath, planting his head on the table once he was done.

Bachira nodded eagerly, genuinely interested in his ramblings, “Uh-huh. Tell us more.”

“And did you know he falls asleep so quickly? We already know that since we all slept in one room during the Blue Lock project, but I never noticed how soft his face gets when he sleeps. And uh...” Isagi paused, raised his head and debated on whether he should continue or not.

“And?” Chigiri prompted.

Isagi chewed on his lips in thought before promptly deciding to just say it, “I think I probably stared at him for an hour? Which is, you know? Creepy. I can’t help it. I mean, his eyelashes are really long.” 

Chigiri nodded, "You're right. That's creepy."

A grumble, "Not helping."

"What? You just told me you watched my best friend sleep," Chigiri raised a playful brow at him. "Tell me that's not creepy."

"Fine," Isagi relented, "but you can't blame me. He looks nice when he sleeps."

“And he smells _ so _nice,” Bachira added, "like candy, right?"

“Yeah!" Isagi exclaimed before deflating and letting out a drawn-out sigh, “I really want to hold his hand. Is that weird?”

“You like him,” Chigiri said as if telling him that the sky was blue.

“Well, yeah. I already told you that," Isagi answered, and realized that it was so strange how at the beginning, he was so shocked to know that he likes Kunigami. But now, he found it hard to believe that there was a time that he wasn't in love with Kunigami.

“So, it’s not weird," Bachira assured.

"Exactly," Chigiri seconded, "What’s weird is you still not telling him.”

Isagi looked at Chigiri, a little startled, "Huh. Isn't this the part where you're supposed to threaten me when I hurt your best friend?"

Chigiri snorted, "You're watching too much TV. I wouldn't do that. I know you, Isagi. You're the last person who would ever dare think of hurting him. You love Kunigami too much for that. Not even as a romantic interest but as a close friend. That's why we're here to help."

Bachira nodded eagerly, grabbing both his hands and shaking them roughly, “We can be your matchmaker. Just call us whenever.”

"Thank you," Isagi mumbled, a little breathless at how supportive his friends were.

"We're happy to be of service," Chigiri smiled, "But before that, go home and get some sleep. You look like a disaster. 2/10. Talk to me when you're back to 11/10."

Yeah.

Isagi really loves his friends.

Even if they were mean.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

Day 103 of Isagi knowing about his crush — that he had apparently been harboring for years but only discovered some few weeks ago — on Kunigami, and Isagi received an invitation from Kunigami asking him if he wanted to go with him on a hiking trip.

Isagi agreed of course. They were on a short school break, and there was no football training, so there was no problem, and even if there were, Isagi would force every planet to align themselves and order any disturbance in the air to smoothen itself. There was nothing in the universe that could stop Isagi from accepting Kunigami's invitation. Especially not when Kunigami told him it would just be the two of them going on the trip.

Seize every opportunity.

Words of wisdom that Isagi learned to live by.

That was why he barely slept that night, eagerly waiting for daybreak to come, and when it did, Isagi was more than ready to go. His eagerness increased even further when he finally met up with Kunigami.

For the record, Isagi never thought a mountain hiker could look so good until Kunigami.

And when Isagi said good looking, he meant _ good looking _.

"You ready to go?" Kunigami asked, bringing Isagi out of his head and back to reality.

"I'm born ready," Isagi grinned, and his grin even widened when he noticed the pufferfish keychain hanging from Kunigami's backpack.

Really, Kunigami kept making him fall even harder, huh?

Although, Isagi found it hard to keep his grin when they were doing the actual hiking. They had been walking for some time now, and Isagi was ready to keel over and die. For some reason, hiking was a lot harder than their training in Blue Lock. That, or he was finally getting old.

"Five minutes," Isagi breathed in exhaustion, flopping down on the large rock conveniently placed next to him.

"Oh, is our football star tired already?" Kunigami inquired, eyes shining with mischief that although a lot less intense, somehow reminded him of Bachira's eyes when he was about to do something crazy.

"You're a monster," Isagi whined. 

Kunigami just shook his head, handing him a bottle of water, which he snatched right away and greedily drank.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t invite Bachira and Chigiri, huh?”

“Eh?”

“When I invited you, I thought maybe I should invite them, too,” Kunigami said.

Spring bloomed and flourished within Isagi’s chest, rising and curling around every part of him, filling every crevice of his soul with too much love. It was hard to contain his happiness when the implication behind Kunigami’s words became clear as day. 

Kunigami thought of him _ first _.

“Why didn’t you?” Isagi managed to ask if only to prevent himself from grinning like a fool in love.

“Chigiri isn't really into hiking, and I was worried Bachira would slip and injure himself," Kunigami told him, chuckling softly.

Which made sense, so much sense actually. 

Chigiri was more of a swimming kind of guy, and Isagi didn't even want to get started about Bachira. Sure, Bachira was basically Isagi’s best friend, but everyone who knew Bachira knows how much of a hazard he could be. Isagi shuddered when he remembered the camping incident. Bachira had been banned from touching anything flammable after that.

Still, if it weren’t for how Chigiri and Bachira were, Isagi wouldn’t be able to go on a hiking trip with Kunigami. Just the two of them.

_ ‘Thanks, guys!’ _

Isagi promised that he’d treat them both to their favorite ice cream place the next time he saw them.

“And it’s nice like this, right? Just the two of us?” Kunigami mumbled, coughing lightly before turning away, a dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Kunigami’s voice was so low, nearly drowned by the wind and the rustling of leaves, but Isagi heard him anyway. It made Isagi hyper-aware of their surroundings ー the dusty trail surrounded by towering trees, a bumbling brook not far from where they stood, the chirping of birds both far and near. The gentle sort of love underneath his skin.

In the middle of it all was Kunigami, bashful and embarrassed, face half illuminated by the dancing sunlight that had filtered through the gaps between the trees. He looked almost out of this world, embraced by an unearthly glow that was almost magical, yet strangely, he didn’t seem out of reach, didn’t seem untouchable. Somehow, at that moment, Kunigami felt the closest he had been.

And Isagi, breathless and enamored, could only say the truth.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s great.”

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

When Isagi got home, feet aching but chest so full of light and close to bursting, his phone beeped.

Kunigami’s name blinked at him across the screen, and Isagi scrambled to unlock his phone.

**From: Kunigami ♡**

_ Thanks for coming with me. It was really fun. _

Reading Kunigami’s message, Isagi’s heart thumped, a gentle sound accompanied by the soft smile that made its way across his lips; he was glad that Kunigami enjoyed their hiking trip as much as he did. That was what mattered to Isagi the most after all. Kunigami deserved to be happy. It was just a bonus that this time around, he was part of the reason for that.

Suddenly, all his exhaustion vanished, popping like a rainbow-colored bubble under the sun.

**To: Kunigami ♡**

_ No problem. _

Immediately after he sent that, Isagi regretted it. That was so lame, wasn’t it? His reply wasn’t even able to convey half of the pleasant emotions bubbling in his veins. Quickly, he followed up his reply with another message, clumsy fingers hitting the send button before he could even think about it.

**To: Kunigami ♡**

_ I had fun, too! Let’s go on a trip again. _

There. Nailed it!

Though not really. Isagi shook his head, staring at the reply he sent. Honestly, he thought that it still didn’t feel enough. His message that is. But for now, Isagi hoped that it would do.

Another beep and Kunigami’s reply was delivered.

He scanned the message. It wasn’t even a proper reply, but Isagi was dying and screaming internally anyway.

**From: Kunigami ♡**

_ (*´∇｀*) _

Kunigami used a happy emoji. A happy, _ blushing _ emoji _ . _

That was too cute. Isagi’s heart couldn’t handle it. Instead, he hugged his phone to his chest, honest sentiments running inside his head over and over again.

_ ‘I love you.’ _

Isagi thought and fervently hoped that one day, he would find the courage to face Kunigami and tell him.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

Isagi should have realized it sooner.

It was coming from miles away. 

Unfortunately, Isagi had overestimated his ability to keep secrets, had been so distracted by Kunigami’s eyes and smile that he forgot about something important. Bottles, no matter how big, had limits, and all the feelings he kept bottled up, all the thoughts he couldn’t say out loud, would eventually spill.

He only realized it now that he was staring at Kunigami in absolute horror.

It had been a normal day. Isagi was over at Kunigami’s place, just hanging out and watching a football match.

And then, Kunigami laughed at something Isagi said — Kunigami had been laughing a lot lately — head thrown back and shoulders shaking. The waves of joy rolling off him were almost tangible, and Isagi found it hard to tear his eyes away. Not that he would ever want to. He loved watching Kunigami at his happiest. Seeing Kunigami like this never fails to warm Isagi inside-out, his own smile threatening to split his face in two.

And because Isagi loved Kunigami’s joy, adored Kunigami so much that it was painful, he couldn’t stop himself from saying the emotions he held dearly in his heart.

“I love you.”

Just like that, silence descended between them like static under his fingertips.

And now, here he was, blood quickly turning to ice as numbness settled in the pit of his stomach. Kunigami was staring at him with wide eyes, completely silent.

_ Shit _.

He messed up. It was over now. Kunigami would no longer be his friend, and there was no one to blame but him, and —

“Does that mean I can properly hold your hand now?” Kunigami’s voice interrupted his thoughts, and it took Isagi eleven minutes to comprehend what he heard.

_ What? _

“What?” He repeated in disbelief, hating how his voice came out more like a squeak.

“I want to hold your hand. Maybe go on dates with you,” Kunigami said, voice soft and almost unsure, red quickly spreading from his neck to his cheeks and up to the tips of his ears.

Kunigami was flustered, and watching Kunigami getting flustered because of him — _ of him! _ — made Isagi blush, too, his own face turning into lava. 

He swallowed, “Are you saying–”

Somehow, Kunigami could only manage a nod. It was strange to see him so flustered. Kunigami was usually so cool and collected, but then he remembered how Kunigami easily got embarrassed when he complimented him, and Isagi couldn’t help but smile like a fool with a heart so full of love.

“I want to kiss you so bad,” Isagi blurted out and promptly combusted at how earnest he sounded.

Before him, Kunigami froze.

“Ah – no. That’s not. Uhm. You can just forget–” he stuttered, a second away from planting his face on a hard surface. He had been so excited that he didn’t even realize that he was acting too fast.

“Okay,” Kunigami said just as fast as Isagi’s heartbeat.

Isagi snapped his mouth shut so quickly that he heard his teeth click against one another. “Okay?”

“The kiss. I want you to. I mean, I like you. So I – ah.” Kunigami said, biting his lower lip. Kunigami wouldn’t meet his eyes, and it made Isagi feel better knowing that he wasn’t the only one getting nervous.

And Kunigami — wonderful and amazing — just said he _ likes him back _ and that he could kiss him. It made Isagi’s heart stutter, ready to burst like a supernova.

“You want me to kiss you?” He asked again just because he could.

“Yeah.” 

Kunigami was finally looking at him, eyes full of sunshine and starlight, drawing him in with their gravitational pull. And because Isagi had always been impulsive and reckless and in love, he didn’t waste any moment and dived for the goal, grabbing the front of Kunigami’s shirt and pulling him forward and down. 

In hindsight, he shouldn’t have been hasty because his forehead bumped against Kunigami’s, their noses smashing against one another. It actually hurt.

But then his lips were on Kunigami’s, and suddenly, the little details didn’t matter anymore. The kiss was chaste, awkward, and clumsy. They were inexperienced, but none of that mattered. None of that mattered because Kunigami’s lips were chapped and a little dry against his own, and it was everything Isagi dreamed of and more.

When they broke apart, Kunigami’s face was burning twenty shades darker. Isagi was sure he looked about the same.

“S-sorry. About your forehead, I mean.” Isagi said because his mind was still filled with thoughts of _ I kissed Kunigami _ and didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

“It’s okay,” Kunigami mumbled, rubbing his forehead, smiling lopsidedly. “Couldn’t say the same for my nose though.”

“I’m sorry.” Isagi just buried his face in his hands, muffling his apology as his cheeks burned a perpetual shade of embarrassment.

Kunigami hummed in response, “But can we do that again?”

Isagi’s head shot up so fast he probably got whiplashed. Kunigami was looking right at him, unblinking and determined. There was Kunigami’s usual confidence, and it took all of Isagi’s willpower to not exclaim ‘_ of course, we can do that again. We can do it as many times as you want.’ _

Instead, he settled for pulling Kunigami down again. Their kiss was still clumsy, their noses still bumped against one another, and they still couldn’t quite figure out how to angle their heads just right, but it was as perfect as the first one.

It was absolutely wonderful.

**°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°l||l°**

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:
> 
> ۵ Local college boys dealing with a crush for the first time like they were in high school.
> 
> ۵ Actually, high schoolers got it better than them omfg.
> 
> ۵ Please don’t judge them, they only cared for football before.
> 
> ۵ This is on Isagi’s POV, so it’s not noticeable, but Kunigami is actually less subtle about his crush on Isagi than Isagi was with his crush on Kunigami. Isagi’s just really clueless.
> 
> ۵ That’s a lie. They’re both obvious and clueless.
> 
> ۵ Let’s pretend all of Team Z moved to one place because plot convenience.
> 
> ۵ Team Z being kicked out of a fast-food restaurant because their impulse control (Kunigami) is not around.
> 
> ۵ Isagi is definitely the type to put the heart symbol in the contact name of his crush (you can’t) change my mind. Haha!
> 
> ۵ If you and your friends don’t call each other cute, why?
> 
> ۵ Chigiri has a crush. Who? We may never know.
> 
> ۵ Everyone blames math.
> 
> ۵ lol


End file.
